OMM THEORIES RESEARCH DISCUSSION REPLIES

Reply in 125 words each to the two separate essays to demonstrate that you understand the nature of the data, confirm that they have found understandable data, and/or to raise questions which might strengthen their research project.

The data I found within my primary article are experiences and observations Allen documented throughout the article. She recounts of conflictual encounters she experienced while she presented some of the challenges and consequences of Black womanhood in academe. Allen (1998) states, a?I have experienced numerous situations that reflect the interlocking nature of racism, sexism, or botha? (p. 578). Some of those experiences led to Allen being labeled as a a?twofera?, a name given to her because administrators could label her a female, minority hire. Also, she was considered by some to be unfit to carry out the responsibilities of her position because of her race. Allen then goes on to say, a?Just about every sister scholar I know has a story of being mistaken in an academic setting for anyone but Dr. So-and-So, and I am no exceptiona? (p. 579). Lastly, within the article, Allen revealed that while she was at an academic social gathering, a White woman asked her to sing a Negro spiritual hymn she loved.

Our text states that Standpointas authors, Harding and Wood, claim that one of the best ways to discover how the world works is to start the inquiry from the standpoint of women and other groups on the margins of society. Because of Allenas experiences, she is able to a?celebrate the positive consequences of having been socialized as Black and woman, and am determined to help other women of color to view and value themselves similarlya? (p. 583).

Standpoint theory is classified as a critical tradition theory in the field of Comm. Theory. Standpoint theory a?is critical of leaders in government, business, and education who use the empirical trappings of social science to validate an unjust status quo-to a?bless the messa that obviously favors thema? (p. 49). By shedding light on her personal experiences and observations, Allen is able to effectively offer support and criticism to other women and minority academicians and also to those who are at the top of societal hierarchy within the world of academia.

The empirical data of my research on Social Judgment Theory and specifically as it relates to ego-involvement lead to some interesting and thought provoking analyses. Social judgment theory focus on an individualas judgment as it relates to a communicated message. Ego-involvement as it relates to the Social Judgment theory deals with social and interpersonal issues and how they are perceived as they relate to a?selfa? and a?group membershipa?. We are members of different group whether we take ownership in them or not. There are many variables besides ego that are present when one is confronted with communicated messages. The variables could be age, sex, education, race, and status. No matter what issue you propose there will be variables that drive oneas stance one way or the other. If one is high in involvement about an issue then they will tend to hold fast to their belief with little or no chance of being persuaded to view the issue differently. Research revealed that self is the most salient factor when judging messages. It is also revealed that individuals that have wide latitudes have them on all topics and the same applies to those that have narrow latitudes. This theory suggests that people have an enduring personality syndrome that predicts how open or accepting they are of concepts and people in general. The confusing analyses of this theory could be attributed to DNA as is suggested because we are all as different as our fingerprints. One thing that is certain as the data suggest is that our pendulum of judgment does not sway from one extreme to the other.